County Hosts Event for Citizens to Find $2 Million in Unclaimed Property

By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

There could be some unclaimed money floating around Mississippi with your name on it and the city of Oxford, Lafayette County and State Treasurer Lynn Fitch are teaming up to help local citizens search for possible unclaimed property next week.

Representatives from Fitch’s office will be at the Oxford Conference Center from 3-7 p.m. July 10 to help those interested search the state’s unclaimed property listing and claim possible funds.
Assets on the list may include money, cash, checks or stocks that have been abandoned.
According to the Treasurer’s list, there is an estimated $2 million in unclaimed property for Lafayette County residents and businesses.
The law requires that “holders” such as banks, credit unions, insurance companies, retail stores, utility companies, and business associations turn over to the Office of the State Treasurer any assets such as money, cash, checks or stocks that have been abandoned for which there has been no contact for a period of five years.
The Unclaimed Property Division is charged with trying to locate the rightful owners of such assets.
“The State’s unclaimed property program is a great economic stimulus program,” Fitch said. “We help individuals, businesses, and even government agencies locate funds that they can use for meeting personal budget needs or investing in their companies, employees, and communities.
“I appreciate Mayor (Robyn) Tannehill for inviting my office to partner with the city of Oxford and Lafayette County to help local residents find their money.”
Unclaimed Property does not include tangible items such as farm equipment, jewelry, land, et cetera.
People can attend the event and receive assistance to search the unclaimed property list, complete claim forms and notarize paperwork. No money will be distributed at the event.
Individuals planning to attend should bring the following items:

• Photo ID (driver’s license, passport, military ID card, etc.)
• Your Social Security Card
• Proof of address (utility bill, etc.)
• Proof of name change (marriage license, divorce decree, etc.)
• If the owner is deceased, bring the death certificate, will, obituary, or affidavit of death

For those who can’t attend the event in person, folks can search the list online at www.treasurerlynnfitch.com.  The  Unclaimed Property Claim Form is also available online. Be sure to follow all instructions when submitting required documentation and search for all possible aliases, maiden names or nicknames.